William Comstock (1594-1679)

Elizabeth Daniel (1607-?)

William Comstock, son of William Comstock, was born in Culmstock, Devonshire, England. His baptismal record appears in Surname Index of Records for 1550-1636, St. Martins in the Field Church, London, England. The text is in Latin:

Guilielmus Coomstocke baptized 4 July 1596

William married Elizabeth Daniel. She was a daughter of Henry Daniel. Henry Daniel was born about 1582 in Much Hadham, Hertford, England. He was a son of John Daniel and Elizabeth Pebite.

William and Elizabeth had six children. The first three were born in England, and the three youngest were born in Connecticut:

   John Comstock        1624-1680 m. Abigail Chappell in
                                     1661; died in Lyme CT
   Samuel Comstock      1628-1660 m. Ann Tucker in 1652;
                                     died in Providence RI
   Daniel Comstock      1629-1682 m. Palthiah Elderkin in
                                     1653
   Elizabeth Comstock   1633-1659 m. Edward Shipman in 1650;
                                     died in Saybrook CT
   William Comstock     1634-?
   Christopher Comstock 1635-1702 m. Hannah Platt in 1663;
                                     died in Norwalk CT

The above data suggests that the family left for America about 1631 or '32.

The following information on William Comstock comes from the book, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America by John Adams Comstock. Published by The Commonwealth Press, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, 1949. Book found in Ft. Wayne, Indiana Library.

About 1635, or shortly thereafter, there came from England to the Massachusetts settlements one William Comstock. From whence he sailed, and on what ship, has not been ascertained.

It is believed that he first lived in the vicinity of Watertown, Massachusetts, but that very shortly he moved to Wethersfield, Connecticut.

He is recorded as having been one of twenty-six men from Wethersfield in the expedition commanded by Capt. John Mason, that captured the Pequot Fort at Mystic, Connecticut, May 26, 1637, killing about five hundred Indians.

It is a matter of record that he held lands on the Connecticut River in Wethersfield in the year 1641, and that these lands had been purchased from one Ric. Milles.

Richard Mylls was plaintiff against Willi Combstocke and John Sadler, defendants, in an action for slander, Aug. 1, 1644, before the Court of Elections, Hartford, to the damage of 200 pounds.

About 1650 he moved to Pequot, now New London, where he had previously (in 1647) received a grant of land. At a town meeting held there in November, 1650, he voted to cooperate with John Winthrop to establish a corn mill, and in July 1651 he Wrought on the mill dam with Tabor and other inhabitants of New London. The old mill is still in existence.

In 1659 it is recorded that with consent of my now wife Elizabeth he sold property in New London.

On February 25, 1661 or '62, Old Goodman Comstock was elected Sexton, to order youth in the meeting house, sweep the meeting house and beat out dogs at 40 shillings a year, and to dig all graves, and have 4s for a grave for a man or woman, and 2s for children, to be paid by the supervisors.

Elizabeth died in 1665 in New London CT. William died in 1679. The History of New London states that he lived on Post Hill near the north corner of Williams and Vauxhall Streets.

Daniel Comstock (1629)-1682)

Palthiah Elderkin (1634-1712)

Daniel Comstock was born in 1629/30 in London, England. In 1631 or '32 he traveled to America as an infant with his father and two brothers, John and Samuel, age about 4 and 8.

In 1653, at age 24 he married Palthiah Elderkin. Over the next 24 years they had 14 children:

   Mary Comstock       1655-?    m. Samuel Young
   Sarah Comstock      1657-?
   Hannah Comstock     1659-?
   Hope Comstock       1660-?
   Ann Comstock        1662-?    m. Ebenezer Billings
   Zipporah Comstock   1663-?
   Elizabeth Comstock  1665-?
   Abigail Comstock    1666-?
   Bethia Comstock     1667-?
   Daniel Comstock     1671-1746 m. Elizabeth Prentiss
   Rebecca Comstock    1671-?    m. Daniel Stebbins
   Kingsland Comstock  1673-?    m. Mary Atweel
   Patience Comstock   1675-?
   Samuel Comstock     1677-1757 m. Sarah Douglas

Daniel died in 1683 at age 53. Palthiah died in 1713 at age 78.

Daniel Comstock (1671-1746)

Elizabeth Prentice

Daniel married Elizabeth Prentice on 23 May 1700.

As far as is known, he lived his entire life in New London, CT. His will was proved 28 May 1746.

They had seven children:

   Peter Comstock      1701-1742 m. Martha Avery
   Daniel Comstock     1703-?    m. Elizabeth Avery
   John Comstock       1705-?    m. Mary Lee
   Thomas Comstock     1710-?    m. Eliza Ward
   James Comstock      1712-?    m. Hannah Allen
   Jonathan Comstock   1714-?
   Elizabeth Comstock  1717-?    m. Ebenezer Waterman

Peter Comstock (1701-1742)

Martha Avery (1706-1763)

Peter married about 1723 Martha Avery. She was a daughter of Samuel Avery and Elizabeth Ransford.

Peter Comstock died at sea in 1742 at age 41. The circumstances are unknown in the record. Many of the Comstocks of this period were sea faring men. In a tragic coincidence, his uncle Thomas Comstock was lost in a hurricane at Nevis in the Caribbean.

Following Peter's death, Martha married, 2nd, Peletiah Bliss, a son of Samuel Bliss and Ann Elderkin.

Peter and Martha had seven children, the first five baptised in Montville CT, the last two in New London CT:

  Elizabeth Comstock    1722-?  m. Jonathan Chappell. He died
                                   1786, and was a son of
                                   Joseph Chappell and Bethiah
                                   Dart.

  Jemima Comstock      1725-1809 m. Richard Chappell, brother
                                    of above
  Mary Comstock        1729-?

  Peter Comstock       1731-1803 m. Elizabeth Fitch. His
                                    second wife was Sarah
                                    Mirich.

  Ransford Comstock    1737-1814 m. (1) in 1761, Catherine
                                    Vibber, and (2) in 1782,
                                    Azuba Davis. He died in
                                    Exeter NY.

  Thomas Comstock      1739-1777 m. Sarah Comstock

  Daniel Comstock      1742-1816 m. Mary Bishop

Daniel Comstock (1742-1816)

Mary Bishop (1744-1828)

Daniel Comstock was the youngest child of Peter. He was born in 1742, the same year his father died while at sea.

He married Mary Bishop 27 October 1763, and they had nine children:

   Zachariah Comstock  1764-1883  m. Polly Wood
   Levi Comstock       1766-1847  m. Hannah Bacon
   Vine Comstock       1769-1777
   Elisha Comstock     1771-1848  m. Polly Tracy
   Elijah Comstock     1775-1777
   Clarinda Comstock   1779-1822  m. Jedediah Boynton
   Lucy Comstock       1782-1806  m. Burgess Hall
   Martha Comstock     1786-1786
   Abigail Comstock    1789-1838  m. John Anderson

Their first three were born in New London, Connecticut, which had been the home town of four generations of Comstocks. In about 1770, the family moved to Sunderland, near Bennington, Vermont. They lived there for about 12 years, during which time four more children were born. Sometime during 1783-85, the family then moved to Shelburne, Vermont, and had the last two children, Martha and Abigail.

Daniel Comstock was a true patriot during the American Revolution. His service record is impressive and is the basis for his great-great-great-great granddaughter, Elizabeth Wooster Singer's membership in Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). His Record of Service[1] includes the following:

1778, Sergeant, 27 days ending June 29, Capt. Brownson's Company
1778, Captain, 2 days, April 22,23
1778, Captain, Officers of Second Regiment of VT militia, May 28
1780, Captain, 5 days, March 22-26.
1780, Captain, 20 days, First Company, Sixth Regiment of Vermont troops Oct
1781, Captain, from beginning of the campaign of 1781 thru 30 Jun
1781, Captain, 147 days in Lt. Col. Fletcher's Battalion, 1 July-24 Nov
1782, Two days service as Muster Master, April 16-17.

A pay table dated 21 August 1783 lists Daniel Comstock as Captain commanding two Lieutenants, four sergeants, four corporals, and 56 privates. Among the privates were his two oldest sons, Levi and Zachariah Comstock, then ages 19 and 17.[2]

It is interesting to note that in the same military record, just a few pages separate the above payroll from another payroll which includes John Singer, the ancestor of Eugene Singer who would marry Elizabeth Wooster 160 years later.

Daniel died in Shelburne in 1816.

Zachariah Comstock (1764-1883)

Polly Wood (1773-1841)

Zachariah Comstock was born 15 November 1764 in Norwich CT.

On 13 February 1794, in Sunderland VT, he married Polly Wood. She was born in 1773 in Shelburne, Chittenden, VT. She was the daughter of James WOOD and Molly CARPENTER.

He died 2 February 1883 in Jay NY; Polly died 20 April 1841 in Elizabethtown NY.

They had five children:

    Christina Comstock	1794-1872     m. Selah Pickett
    Samantha Comstock	1795-1855     m. David Frech
    David Comstock	1801-1858     m. Charlotte Blake
    Diantha Comstock	1805-1805     d. same day
    Clarinda Comstock	1810-?        m. Rev. Owen Gregg

Christiana Comstock (1794-1872)

Selah Pickett (1791-1872)

A note from great-great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Wooster Singer:

I have always felt close to Christina Comstock. As a small girl I often visited my Aunt Ethel's house (Ethel Wooster), and was fascinated by the framed Sampler made by Christina that had remained in the family more than 150 years. The Sampler eventually came to me, and I regret that it as well as many other antiques and heirlooms were destroyed when our home in California was burned in a brush fire in 1980.

I can remember the Sampler as a clear picture in my mind:

Christina Comstock was born in 1794.
Her Sampler was made in 1804.
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For further information on this family, see the PICKETT section of this history.

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Updated 4-6-03